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Longtime Labourer Roger Tregidgo had his retirement party on December 1 at the Pemberton Station Pub. Business Agent Butch Sidey presented Roger with a token of the local's appreciation for his years of service.

On December 8, 2017 dignitaries from the federal and provincial governments, the Squamish Nation, Canadian Coast Guard, and Seaspan joined Local 506 members in launching the Sir John Franklin an ocean science vessel. This is the first ship launched under the National Shipbuilding Program.

Business Agent Butch Sidey and Communications Chair David Maidman are pleased to announce that Dr. Chris Madsen has been contracted to write a book about Local 506’s history. This project was initiated at our June membership meeting and the book will celebrate our 70th year in 2018.

VANCOUVER - The BC Shipyard Workers' Federation and BC Federation of Labour are calling on the federal and provincial governments to cancel TransLink's decision to build a $25 million Seabus replacement ferry in Singapore, saying it will cost BC jobs and investment.

And the unions say TransLink rejected the opportunity to use federal financial assistance paid to buyers of Canadian built vessels under Canada's Shipbuilding Policy that provides up to 15% of the value of the vessel as a non-repayable contribution.

This program was specifically designed to combat predatory pricing from low cost countries that Canada cannot compete with on price alone and would have reduced the price of North Vancouver's Allied Shipbuilders bid by $2 million or more.

"Why on earth would TransLink build a SeaBus that travels back and forth to North Vancouver in Singapore instead of right here at home, creating jobs and investment in our backyard?" asks George MacPherson, president of the BC Shipyard Workers' Federation.

"And why on earth would Translink reject out of hand the opportunity to have the federal government provide assistance on this project when BC Ferries has received over $23.9 million under the same program on similar projects that kept the work in BC?" MacPherson said.

MacPherson said TransLink's criteria for awarding the contract to Damen Shipyards Group of the Netherlands which will build the SeaBus in Singapore is flawed as it did not include any consideration of the benefits of local economic spinoffs - estimated at more than $25 million - of creating apprenticeships in the industry, of taxation going to all levels of government from workers' wages and corporate taxes leading it to the wrong decision.

When you look at the whole picture you see that building the SeaBus in Singapore is just dead wrong," MacPherson said. "You would think a province with a BC Jobs Plan would plan to create jobs in BC, not Singapore "

BC Federation of Labour President Jim Sinclair says both the provincial and the federal government are responsible for the TransLink decision and should cancel it.

"The provincial government contributed $4.8 million to constructing the last SeaBus in Victoria in 2008 and not a penny for this one," Sinclair said. "The provincial government is responsible for TransLink and it should never let major decisions like this that affect BC jobs and investment be made solely by an unelected TransLink board."

"And the federal government is contributing about 90% of the cost of this SeaBus through federal gas tax payments to TransLink but didn't insist on a Canadian or BC shipyard building this vessel," Sinclair said.

"It is astonishing that after the federal government insisted on Canadian bids for the recent $8 billion navy procurement contract for supply ships that will be built by SeaSpan in North Vancouver," Sinclair said. "Why build Canadian for some projects and give the jobs away on others with the same taxpayer dollars?"

Sinclair and MacPherson say it's not too late for the federal and provincial government to do the right thing and cancel the TransLink decision immediately.

The BC Shipyard General Workers' Federation represents about 1,600 workers in the shipbuilding, repair and maintenance industry.